Eerie images of Chinese ghost town that has emerged from under water five years after earthquake

Homes, offices and the primary school have emerged from the water revealing the village of Xuanping

A huge earthquake devastated the village in 2008 causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake

But the banks of the lake were severely damaged in July after the biggest flood in 50
years

This has caused the the flood water to retreat and once again revealed the village

By
Anthony Bond

These astonishing pictures show an entire village emerging from a lake - five years after it was completely flooded following a massive earthquake.Almost 10 buildings including homes, offices and the primary school have gradually emerged from the water after the village of Xuanping was completely destroyed in 2008.An 8.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the village in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province of China,causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake.

Submerged: The town of Xuanping has suddenly
emerged from a lake - five years after it was completely flooded
following an earthquake

Revealed: Buildings which once made up the village have appeared again over the past two months

Devastated: An 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit the
town in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province of China, on May 12, 2008
causing it to be completely flooded by a barrier lake

Different: With the buildings poking up from the water's surface, it gives the lake a mysterious appearance

Appearance: The village has emerged again after
the biggest flood in 50 years damaged the lake's banks in July, causing
the flood water to fall

Incredible: Yang Rong visits her old house and
takes away her belongings after the property suddenly emerged from the
flood water

In July, the banks of the lake were severely damaged after the biggest flood in 50
years causing the the flood water to retreat. The water level has now fallen from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters, resulting in the reappearance of the town.

Incredibly, the national flag hanging on the pole of Xuanping primary school has even been spotted. Many
people have returned to the area to look at their former village - with
some even able to have a look around their former homes.

Reduction: This aerial shot shows the ruins of
the flooded town peeking above the water. The water level has now fallen
from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters

Creepy: Houses and other buildings gradually began to emerge from the water on July 14

Mysterious: This shows one of the town's
buildings which was completely submerged under water but has since
emerged again after the flood water dropped

Return: Among some of the buildings which
reappeared included the local primary school, which still had its
national flag on the pole. This shows the roof of another of the town's
buildings

Odd: As well as the primary school, the township government's dormitory and unit office appeared in the water

Upsetting: This man looks at his old house which has been left ruined by the flood water in Xuanping

The village's government dormitory and unit office appeared in the water along with a hostel and about
10 houses.The emergence of the town is remarkably similar to part of the storyline in Channel 4's hit TV show The Returned.The French series is set in a small mountain town in which many dead people reappear, apparently alive and normal.
They try to resume their lives as normal but strange phenomena keep
occurring - including the water level of the dam mysteriously lowering
to reveal dead animals and the steeple of a church which was part of a
town flooded by water.

Going down: The water level has now fallen from 712 meters above sea level to 703 meters

Lower: The water marks on the lake's banks give a clear indication of how far the water has fallen

Strange: A hostel has also re-emerged together with a dormitory and nearly 10 houses

Dramatic: The emergence of the town is
remarkably similar to the part of the storyline in Channel 4's hit TV
show The Returned - in which a dam's water lowers to reveal a church
steeple

Incredible: Some former residents of the town have even being pictured going back to their properties to pick up belongings